


Starlight and Constellations

by rumpledspinster



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), ouat
Genre: F/M, Fluffy, no smut in this one :), starlight and constellations rcij prompt, sweet romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 07:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7674895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumpledspinster/pseuds/rumpledspinster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the result of a RCIJ prompt for Rumbelle with starlight and constellations.<br/>Belle and Robert Gold are social pariahs in the town of Storybrooke who have eyes for each other, but Belle keeps hoping that Robert will make the first move and Robert is too afraid of ruining what they already have. But it seems their relationship has been written in the stars as starlight and constellations bring them together and help them to uncover the truth of their emotions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starlight and Constellations

Robert Gold adjusted his homemade telescope slightly in accordance with the calculations he had just done in his worn notebook by the dim red light of his tinted flash light. He huffed in frustration at the coastal fog that was making it especially difficult to find Saturn. Suddenly he heard the crunch of a foot on dry sticks coming from just behind him. Please don’t be a bear he pleaded silently to no one in particular as he reached for his flashlight and turned around.

“Don’t be frightened! It’s just me.” The silvery voice belonged to the lovely Belle French, the only other person in town, besides himself, that the narrow minded townspeople of Storybrooke had decided to place on the list of people to be shunned permanently with no chance of parole for good behavior. While people whispered not so subtly that he was a monstrous money hording dragon of a man, they seemed to regard Belle as some sort of evil witch capable of cursing people and boiling babies, though no one had heard of her ever doing either of those things. It had always seemed strange to Robert that the townspeople regarded Belle in such a way. What had she ever done to them? At least their treatment of him kind of made sense seeing as how most of the town rented from him, although he had never forced someone to make a rental deal with him. They were always all too happy to agree to his terms until it came time to pay up.  
Belle was wonderful, kind, and ethereally gorgeous as far as Robert was concerned, but he didn’t really know her as well as he would’ve liked. He had seen her in town before on a few occasions and she visited his shop about twice a week, which was rather often now that he thought about it, but the library she worked in was right across the street from his shop and no one ever attended it so he supposed she had a lot of free time on her hands.

 

  
Every time she visited his antique shop he would try to talk to her, to really have a conversation, but he would find that every thought in his head had somehow whizzed out of his ears like steam from a kettle spout leaving him capable of little more than yes or no answers. Belle had seemed a little disappointed at his lack of conversation, but she had happily filled the silence with her lovely voice and as time went on she seemed to have a magical effect on him. He found that his answers to her questions became effortless despite his head feeling empty of things to say. She seemed to be able to pour his past and feelings out of him as simply as one pours tea, an ability that all at once had him intrigued and frightened.

Belle’s hands were raised in mock surrender as Robert lowered his flashlight. Belle stepped forward lightly stopping a few feet from him, and already he could feel his thoughts beginning to whizz like water molecules moving ever faster in a heated kettle. Belle motioned to his tinted flashlight. “That’s very clever.”

“Hmm? Oh, the flashlight. Thank you, I tinted it red so that I could see out here without losing my night vision.

Belle leaned to the side and marveled at his homemade telescope. “Is that a telescope?!”

Robert nodded.

“And you made it?”

Again Robert nodded, a grin forming on his face as he puffed his chest out a bit in pride.

Belle sighed in longing, “I always wanted a telescope, but they are so expensive. I never thought to build one.”

“I’d always wanted a telescope too; since I was a little thing. I grew up poorer than a church mouse as you already know, so it was no more than a fantasy. I took astronomy in college and loved it. I had planned to buy a telescope when I had enough money, but then I sort of forgot about it until I came across my old astronomy books and then I thought why not make my own? This way I understand it completely and am capable of repairing it if and when it needs it.” Robert shifted uneasily on his feet. “Umm, I can show you how to use it, if you like?”

Belle clapped her hands gently as a broad smile bloomed across her face. “Yes please!”

Robert motioned her over to the telescope, “I was trying to zone in on Saturn, but my calculations don’t seem to be helping with the search.”

Belle smiled as she whipped out a sleek, new (but not too new) smart phone. “I have an app that might help. I use it at work all the time.” With a slide and tap of her finger, a screen opened up with pinpoints of light, and to Robert’s amazement, Belle held the phone up to the sky and it showed her what she should be seeing if her eyes were telescopes and the conditions were perfect. “Ah ha! There she is just to the left of Scorpius, and there is Mars to her right drifting across Libra.”

Robert gawked in astonishment, “That is amazing, but alas I have a mere flip phone. I call, text, and email, but that is the limit of my tech savvy.”

Belle smiled coyly as she moved in front of the telescope’s eyepiece, brushing her body across his chest in the process, the contact sending a jolt of electric warmth through him. Her face turned from him, she lined up the telescope with Saturn, saying as she did so “Then I guess you’ll just have to take me with you every time you feel like stargazing.”

Robert swallowed hard as the sultry tone of her voice short circuited his brain. He must be imagining things. Belle was a beautiful woman and he was…him. She could do so much better. Not in Storybrooke of course (Storybrooke was like the Brigadoon of North America. When it’s inhabitants weren’t sleeping they were making bad decisions based on thinking that was a century out of date.), but somewhere. New York maybe?

“Hurry and see before she drifts out of view again.”

Robert moved to look through the lens of the telescope and felt a childlike wonder as Saturn came into view. “Wow…” When it had drifted from view completely, Belle sidled up behind him, wrapping her arms around him, and adjusted the telescope so that he could see Mars. Robert’s breathing came shallow as he looked through the lens. Suddenly Mars came into view and he stopped her movement of the telescope with a gentle yet firm hand on hers. Now it was her turn to breathe shallow. They traded positions, and when they were finished Belle laid out a blanket that she had brought with her and laid down upon it, patting the empty spot next to her on the warm plaid flannel. Robert laid down next to her, somewhat reluctantly, and felt his unease and fears drift away as she grasped his hand in hers. With the other hand she pointed at the sky and helped him to see the shapes of different constellations, telling him a story to go with each one. Robert was beginning to wish that this moment of closeness might never end. It had been so long since he had been close to anyone; since he had felt the warmth and skin of another person. But alas the moment came to an end as a chilly wind off the ocean blew the marine layer inland and the fog and low clouds blotted out the twinkling light of the cosmos.

Belle and Robert reluctantly stood up and packed up their respective things. Robert shone his light on the trail as Belle quickly lifted the other end of the somewhat large telescope. It wasn’t heavy, being made largely out of strong cardboard, but it was bulky and Robert was glad of the extra help. They made their way through the forest carefully until they arrived at Robert’s Cadillac. Belle helped him to load it into his spacious trunk. Robert looked around, “Are you parked nearby?”

Belle pointed off into the trees about ten feet away, “There’s my bike.”

Robert looked at her dumbstruck, “You rode your bike down an unlit highway in the middle of the night?!”

Belle simply shrugged, “I don’t have a car.”

Robert shook his head in a somewhat aggravated way as he walked with Belle to her bike and then loaded it in to the backseat of his car. Once they were in the car, he quickly started the engine and turned on the heater, reaching over to gently grasp Belle’s hands and pull them into the comforting stream of warm air. “Your hands are freezing. The temperature has dropped significantly, and you were going to bicycle home in that thin sweater and no gloves.” Robert shook his head in what seemed to be a disappointed way.

Belle smiled, “Well I didn’t have a boyfriend with a car until a few hours ago.”

Belle watched carefully as Robert’s eyes grew wide. Belle placed her hand over his on the steering wheel, letting her fingers trail gently from the tip of his fingers to his wrist while watching a smile bloom across his face. She continued, “I’ve admired you from afar for a long while now. I wanted to ask you out on a date, but I would get so nervous…So I tried to break the ice each time we were together in the hopes that you would ask me out, but that didn’t work. But it looks like all my meditation and visualization has finally paid off seeing as how the stars themselves arranged for us to finally come together.”

Robert looked at her incredulously, “Belle…I…” he sighed in sad disbelief, “You could do so much better than me.”

Now it was Belle’s turn to look incredulous, “You think I could do better than a successful self-made man who is good with his hands, intelligent, is gorgeous, and cares about me? You do care for me don’t you?”

Robert smiled, “I do care about you, and to hear you put it like that… I suppose you could do worse than me.”

Belle returned the smile as she directed him to her home. Robert pulled up to the small one story pink house that Belle called home (which happened to look a great deal like his own home except on a much smaller scale) and helped her to get her bicycle out of the car. He sat it on the ground and was surprised to turn around to find Belle mere inches from him. Belle tugged his tie gently as she rose up on her tip toes and pressed her soft lips to his. Warmth bloomed out from his lips leaving him flush. His arms were at his sides, hands grasping at air as his brain struggled to tell his arms to embrace her, when all to soon she broke off the kiss. He watched as she made to carry her bicycle up the porch stairs. He moved forward to help her when her foot slipped on the edge of one of the fog moistened stairs causing her to fall backward a step, her weight coming down on her ankle as it hit a lower step. She yelped as she started to fall, but in a flash Robert was behind her holding her up and keeping both her and the bike from careening down the entirety of the stairs. He sat her down on the step, placed the bike safely on the porch and returned to her side. He could see that she was fighting back moaning and wailing as silent tears streamed down her face. The sight of her in so much pain hurt his chest and brought tears to his own eyes. He gently eased her up onto her good leg and hoisted her into his arms, carrying her over the threshold of her home.

“Do you think you’ve broken it?” he asked in a voice heavy with concern as he laid her on the couch and grabbed throw pillows from nearby to prop up her quickly swelling ankle.

Belle’s voice was a mere whisper as she struggled for breath, “I don’t think so, but I can’t put any weight on it. I think it might be dislocated.”

Robert went pale at her words. “Then I should take you to the hospital or call an ambulance.”

Belle stopped him with a hand. “No. An ambulance would be too expensive for something like this. Besides it’s already late and it would take a long time.” She winced as she tried to shift on the couch. “You can take me in the morning.”

Robert shook his head, “I’m not sure that is a good idea. Your whole foot is going purple.”

Belle waved off his fears as if they were no more than smoke. “It will be fine. In the kitchen there is a bag of rice in the freezer and a tea towel on the counter. Bring those to me please.”

Robert did as she asked. She then sent him to the bathroom to retrieve some anti-inflammatory pain killers and a glass of water.

With her ankle elevated and iced, and pain killers taken, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

Robert sat in a nearby, overstuffed chair and watched her silently as she attempted to meditate the pain away. She seemed so fragile now; so different from the strong, confident woman that visited him in the shop so often. He sighed as he thought back over the night’s events. She had said that she had wanted him from the start. If only he had been brave enough to ask her to dinner, lunch, coffee… he had wanted to, but he was afraid. Afraid that she would say no, and terrified that she would say yes because if she accepted his offer and the date went horribly then he may never enjoy her company again. But now thinking back over the brilliant date that they had both had and its near disastrous ending, he began to realize that Belle wasn’t the type of person to give up when things didn’t come easy. Robert sighed, they could have been together for weeks.

 

  
All of a sudden Belle bit back a moan and the sound of it caused another realization to form in Robert’s mind. What if he hadn’t decided to stargaze tonight? After all it was a possibility. He had looked at the less than perfect conditions and had almost decided to stay home. Would Belle have still fallen on the steps? Would she have cracked her head open on the concrete and bled to death?! Maybe she wouldn’t have made it home at all. Dark, cold, and foggy as it was, visibility would be bad. She could have been hit with a car, or skidded down an embankment. She could be laying cold and dying with no one knowing where she was and he would have never gotten the opportunity to hold her hand or hear her call him her boyfriend. Robert was beginning to hyperventilate as his thoughts buzzed around in a blurring whir within his mind, but he was luckily brought back to earth by the soothing sound of Belle’s voice.

“You don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to Robert.” Belle was staring up at the ceiling and looked deep in concentration.

Robert’s first thought was that she wanted him to go. “Do you want me to go?”

Belle could hear what sounded like dismay, or possibly hurt in his voice. “Of course not. I would keep you with me forever if I could, but seeing as how this is the beginning of our romantic relationship I wouldn’t want you to feel as if you are trapped or that we are moving too fast. The last thing I want to do is scare you away.”

Robert grabbed a blanket that was folded nearby and draped it gently over her. “There is no where I would rather be right now than with you. And if you don’t mind, I think we can count all of the times you spent with me in the shop as dates, and when you add that to this amazing date…Hmm, I think it’s safe to say that we are in the middle of our romantic relationship.”

Belle smiled, “I’m inclined to agree with you seeing as how you are spending the night with me.”

Robert smiled widely at her words. Belle quickly told him where everything was that he might need or want while he stayed with her, and then offered him her bed if he would like. He declined saying that the overstuffed reclining chair he had been in would suffice. He took off his shoes, coat, and tie. He undid the first few buttons of his shirt as he walked to the light switch and turned off the lights. He returned to his chair and bid Belle good night as he got comfortable. He could hear the sounds of frogs, crickets, and a far off owl, as well as the gentle trickle of water. It was all very relaxing. The light from her porch light shone in through the colorful light catchers in the window gently illuminating the room somewhat and sending dimly colored light fracturing along the walls. Belle’s front room was beautifully eclectic. She had a lovely woven rug in rich colors of red, blue, and green upon her dark wood floor. She had a large, sturdy, dark wood bookcase filled to the brim with books against the wall. Her fireplace mantel was covered in lovely crystals and gemstones, and every light that Robert had noticed had an intricate base and a decorative shade made of colored glass pieces soldered together to create lovely pictures of dark green leaves, a bramble of roses, and one of dragonflies in flight.  
Robert’s thoughts drifted as he began to fall asleep. Belle seemed to genuinely care about his feelings. No one had ever made him feel as if his feelings mattered before. As a child his father had left him feeling that if he had been a better son he wouldn’t have left. His aged aunties who had taken him in were kind, but they had always led him to believe that his needs and feelings came second. They seemed to care a great deal for what others thought about them and had taught him to believe that you should do and sacrifice as needed in order to have people like you. But they had been wrong. It was that kind of thinking that led him to marry Milah. The whole time they dated she had made the decisions, her wants came first. He had only married her because she demanded it. “I want to be married before I’m twenty-five!” She had railed at him, “If I don’t get a ring before my birthday then we are over!” And so, he had married her. And for the first couple years of marriage she had ruled over him like a dictator.  
Robert’s only friend in the world, Jefferson, whom he had known longer than Milah, had always tried to look out for him and stick up for him. One day Jefferson had taken him aside and told him that Milah was cheating on him. Robert didn’t want to believe it, and after all Jefferson had never liked Milah so perhaps he imagined he saw more than what he actually did. Robert had firmly told Jefferson that he must be mistaken, but Jefferson had come prepared with photographs and a video of Milah laughing and passionately kissing a sleazy looking man on a dock by a boat. At one point in the video the man asked if Robert suspected anything to which Milah laughed and called her husband a simpering idiot who will continue to empty his pocket book. Robert changed in that moment. He became cold and hard like the steel of a blade, he felt anger burning within him and in that moment he decided that if he could help it, he would never again feel vulnerable. He would do whatever it took to always have the upper hand. In very little time at all their divorce was finalized in his favor and Milah was sent red faced and fuming back to her Captain sleazy pants. Since that day, Robert had closed himself off to everyone save for Jefferson and Dove, a man that worked for Robert and had proven himself to be loyal no matter what. Robert glanced over at Belle’s sleeping form. Belle isn’t Milah, he told himself. Let her in. He remembered the warmth of her hand in his as he drifted off to sleep.

******

Golden light began to stream into the front sitting room as the sun began to rise in the sky. Robert opened his eyes and stretched out a little as he got up from the chair. Seeing that Belle was still asleep, he went down the hall to the bathroom, grabbed a clean washcloth and washed his face and rubbed his teeth clean with it as best he could. He then pulled a comb from his pocket and raked it through his hair. He padded quietly in his socked feet down the hall back toward the front room, turning right he passed through what he now could see was a small parlor of sorts with the kind of furniture that looked as if this room was not meant to linger in. To his right he noticed there was a glass door that led into an atrium filled with all sorts of lush green plants. It also held an intimate sitting area with wrought iron furniture covered in soft looking pillows as well as a gently babbling fountain. There were beautiful lanterns like travelers of old might have carried hanging from wrought iron hooks on the walls. The parlor itself led into a small kitchen so he supposed its original purpose was to be a dining room. Once in the kitchen he couldn’t help noticing the many dried herbs Belle had hanging from a rod along the wall and the counter full of colorful jars and bottles with cork stoppers topped with crystal pulls. He also noticed that she had a great many plants. Robert searched through the fridge. He was able to put together a breakfast of apple slices and yogurt for them both which he placed in bowls and brought back to the sitting room. Belle was awake and smiled at him seeing that he had food.

“Was my stomach so loud that it woke you up and demanded food?” Belle gave him a sly smile as she held out her hand for a bowl.

Robert smiled back at her, “No louder than my own. Now then, eat up and then you can take some more pain killers and we are off to the hospital.”

Belle groaned, “I hate hospitals. I find them absolutely terrifying.” And indeed she did look terrified as she asked in a meek voice full of hope, “You’ll stay with me? I don’t want to be alone there.”

Robert sat down his bowl and knelt at her side, “I won’t let you out of my sight.” Belle smiled as she reached out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

As they ate their breakfast, they talked. Robert asked Belle about her past, and then told her about his own. By the end of breakfast, he felt that he knew her well. She had been on her own since she was young, her mother having died and her father having drank himself to the point of utter uselessness. She had taken over what was left of her parents’ florist business by growing her own plants and vegetables and selling them at the farmers’ market in town, a task she was happy to take on as she happens to adore plants. She homeschooled herself so she could help her father as best as she could, but despite not attending teacher taught classes at Storybrooke High she still graduated top of her class there. She loves books and was thrilled to get the job of librarian at the town’s only public library despite it being underfunded and lacking in patrons. She took online college courses and holds three degrees; an associate’s in metaphysics, and a bachelor’s degree in botany as well as library science. She is excellent at book keeping and budgeting. She loves animals, especially furry ones, and is still afraid of the dark. Robert smiled at that and shared with her that he isn’t too fond of the dark himself.

He helped her get to the bathroom and cleaned up as best she could and helped her into his car. He unloaded his trunk, placing his telescope into her sitting room, and then returned to the car and drove her to the hospital. He could see that having her foot down was doing a number on her ankle as it turned a darker shade of bluish purple and she squeezed her eyes shut. He quickly found a parking spot in the emergency room lot and hurried in asking for a wheelchair. A nurse came out and helped him to load Belle into the wheel chair and wheel her to the admissions desk.

 

The admissions clerk took down her information and vitals, and luckily as there was no one else waiting, they were able to wheel her back directly with Robert at her side. Dr. Whale shortly came in, making it clear by his attitude that he would much rather be somewhere else. When Robert glared at him he apologized stating that he was just about to go off shift and was tired. He looked at Belle’s ankle and then began to palpate causing Belle to yelp and cry in Robert’s embrace. Dr. Whale nonchalantly muttered that she had indeed dislocated it before asking Robert to hold on to Belle tightly. Robert barely had time to register the doctor’s request before he roughly popped the bone back in place. Belle flailed in Robert’s arms as he held tightly to her so that she would not fall off of the cot she was sitting on. She screamed at the harsh treatment and then moaned as she tried to desperately hold back the urge to cry and wail as Robert pressed kisses to her head and murmured soothing words to her. Robert wanted nothing more than to throttle the hack of a doctor, but he didn’t dare leave Belle as Dr. Whale quickly left the room. Shortly after, a nurse came in and gave Belle a shot for the pain and mercifully the pain dissipated within a few minutes. The nurse frowned at Belle’s chart as she asked them both, “Did he not do an x-ray first?”

Robert answered “No,” through gritted teeth as the nurse began to place a cast over Belle’s ankle.

The nurse shook her head, “Honestly, he acts as if we are still in the dark ages some times. If you don’t mind, I would like to have an x-ray done just to make sure there aren’t any fractures.”

Robert nodded, “Please do.”

The nurse complied and gave a sigh of relief at the results. “I don’t see any fractures. You are going to need to come back in a couple of weeks so that we can make sure that the alignment is still good, but you are going to need to stay off of it as much as possible.”

Belle piped up in a still somewhat pained voice, “How long will it take to recover completely?”

The nurse replied in a matter of fact way, “About eight weeks, during which time I would recommend that you not be alone.”

A look of fear crossed Belle’s face. Noticing it, Robert pressed another kiss to her head and whispered, “There is nowhere else I’d rather be.”

The nurse gave them a prescription for pain killers that they could have filled at the hospital pharmacy and instructions that Belle was to stay off of that foot as much as possible, keep it elevated, and ice often.

Robert helped a hobbling Belle on crutches to the pharmacy and purchased her medication for her as well as a transport chair.

Belle tried to wave off his kindness, “That’s too much money to be spending on me Robert.”  
Robert smiled at her as he helped her into the chair, “Nonsense. Think of all the money I haven’t gotten to spend on taking you for fancy dinners or buying you flowers.”

Belle giggled, “I’m more of a plant girl, just so you know.”

Robert drove Belle back to her home and helped her back on to the couch, propping up her foot and placing an ice pack on it.

Belle looked over at Robert with doubt in her eyes, “How are we going to make this work Robert?”

He considered her words for a moment. “Well I think that we should stay at each other’s houses off and on for a week at a time. That way all the house plants and bills and things can stay up to date. I’ll limit my hours at the shop and have my associate Mr. Dove handle all my rental properties, he handles most of it already anyway.”

Belle looked at him with love filled eyes, “You would do that for me?”

“Of course I would. You’re my girlfriend after all.”

Belle sighed happily as her eyes drifted shut, the pain killers seeming to have made her quite drowsy. “I wish I was your wife.” She whispered, a smile crossing her face as her eyes remained closed. As she drifted off to sleep she muttered, “Mrs. Belle Gold.”

Belle’s breathing had slowed and Robert could see that she was sound asleep. He stared in loving astonishment at the beautiful angel that was Belle sleeping peacefully on the couch. Robert wasn’t known to rush into decisions, but spending the rest of his life with Belle felt right. He decided to let the idea of marriage sit for a couple of weeks, and if it was something that Belle truly wanted then he would find a way to make it happen.

Robert made them bacon sandwiches for lunch. He didn’t even have to wake Belle, the smell of bacon cooking did it for him. No sooner had they finished eating and he had begun to clean up, a knock came at the front door. Robert answered it to find a very shifty looking Mary-Margaret standing on the porch. “What are you doing here?” she squeaked in a surprised tone. To which Robert simply replied “I could ask you the same question.”

Mary-Margaret looked around as if making sure she hadn’t been followed, before asking in a wavering whisper, “Is Belle in?”

Just then Belle appeared behind Robert on crutches, “Mary-Margaret you should have called first.”

Robert turned around at the sound of Belle’s voice, “You shouldn’t be up and around.”

Belle smiled at his caring protectiveness before speaking to Mary-Margaret. “Come in and take a seat in the parlor.”

Mary-Margaret gratefully proceeded to the parlor without being directed hinting that she had been to Belle’s home before.

Robert followed Belle into the parlor and at his direction, helped her take a seat on a red velvet loveseat with her ankle propped up as best as she could while Mary-Margaret sat at a chair on the other side of the round dark wood table between them. Belle looked to Rumple pleadingly, “Wait for me in the kitchen?” she asked and he nodded yes, reluctantly returning to the kitchen, listening closely to hear their conversation.

Belle began by asking Mary-Margaret why she had come. Mary-Margaret sounded embarrassed when she replied. “I had a dream that I think might mean something bad, and I was hoping you could tell me what it means, as well as take a peek into my future.” Robert perked up his ear at that. Mary-Margaret railed against that kind of thing, yet here she was asking Belle to do some of the very things she preached against. He felt anger building in his chest. He had seen Mary-Margaret avoid eye contact with Belle, whisper behind her back, and cross the street to avoid bumping in to her, yet here she was.

Belle’s voice was patient as she asked her about her dream. Mary-Margaret told her that all she remembered of the dream was that she and her husband David had a fight and she grabbed a broom and waved it at him before leaving the house and the next thing she knew she was in a store desperate to buy a bible.

Belle listened carefully and paused a moment before speaking. “Perhaps the broom in this dream symbolizes a need to clean up a past event. Buying a bible would most likely be related to a desire to be able to justify your actions or something that you said. Does any of this sound relevant to you?”

Mary-Margaret’s voice was a hushed whisper of astonishment. “It does! Oh my goodness.”

Robert chanced a peek into the room and saw that Belle had grabbed a stack of cards from the table. She passed them to Mary-Margaret. “You have a question about your future, don’t tell me what it is. I want you to focus on that specific question very carefully as you shuffle these cards. Then hand them back to me when you are ready.”

Mary-Margaret did so and slid the deck back to Belle who then cut it and laid it down in two piles. Belle flipped the top card from each pile. “You have the Magician in the Yin position which indicates that this particular question has your imagination whirring. You have the Tower in the Yang position which can mean trouble ahead. The issue you have may be presenting you with tough decisions that you are unwilling to address despite wanting a favorable outcome. Though it may seem counter intuitive, meditation might be your best bet. Try not to overthink the issue in terms of right and wrong. Instead, try to make a decision that feels right.” Belle stacked the cards back into a deck and set them aside. “Do you want to tell me what your question was?”

Mary-Margaret looked absolutely terrified as she whispered, “David suggested that we try … “toys” in the bedroom last night. I got mad at him and told him how dare he suggest such a depraved thing. He got upset and slept on the couch. I was so upset, but I finally fell asleep. Then I had the nightmare.”

Belle nodded. “And now do you feel you understand your thoughts a bit better?”

Mary-Margaret nodded, “I think so. Is there a potion or something you could sell me to make it easier for me to make a decision?”

“I can sell you a blood stone. Hold it in your hand, focus on its weight, and clear your mind as best you can. Very often meditating in such a way can help your mind relax enough to come to a decision.”

“I have also been having terrible headaches, is there a potion you could sell me for that?”

Belle smiled, “I’ll get you some peppermint tea and peppermint oil that you can massage on to your forehead and temples.” Belle turned toward the kitchen and called out for Robert.

Robert backed away from the wall so his voice would sound farther away, “Yes love?”

“Please help me to the kitchen.”

“Of course.”

He helped her up and into the kitchen on her crutches. She went to the counter that had herbs drying above it and was covered in jars and bottles. She retrieved a wax paper pouch from the drawer and filled it with dried herb from a jar, then neatly folded down the top. She then filled a small vial with oil from one of the stoppered bottles using a dropper. She proceeded to open another drawer that had a large tray with crystals and gemstones in different partitions. She plucked out a small red stone and slid the drawer shut. He helped her to return to Mary-Margaret who was now standing by her chair looking as cagey as ever. Belle handed over the stone, pouch of tea, and oil to Mary-Margaret. Who quickly placed them into her purse. “What do I owe you?”

Belle considered, “five for the tea, another five for the gem stone, ten for the oil, ten for the dream interpretation session, and ten for the tarot session, so…forty all together.”

Mary-Margaret handed Belle fifty dollars, “Here is an extra ten for your discretion.”

Belle took the money gratefully and bid Mary-Margaret goodbye as Robert showed her out.

Robert turned to Belle with a sly grin, “So all those rumors about you being a witch are true huh?”

Belle rolled her eyes at him, “If by witch you mean a student of metaphysics who believes in helping people, then yes.”

Robert remembered Belle mentioning that she uses her star map app for work. “You mentioned that you use your star map app for work. What do you use it for?”

Belle smiled, “I have a few clients who come to me for astrology. I use it to help them know themselves better.”

Robert smirked as he rolled his eyes.

Belle smiled at him in a knowing way. “I take it you don’t believe in astrology?”

He sighed. “Personally it just seems like a lot of hokum to me. Everything is so general. It could apply to anyone.”

Belle sighed out a smile as she replied, “That’s the point.”

Robert thought he must not have heard her right, “What?”

“Sometimes people feel as if they can’t decide on the right course of action or they feel as if their life is out of their control. Astrology can be a much needed, gentle push to look inward and meditate. To really evaluate why we think the things we do, what we are feeling and why. So yes astrology can seem very generalized, but it’s that generalization that allows people to apply it to their own personal situations.

Robert looked deep in thought as he asked, “So you don’t really believe in all of the astrology stuff?”

Belle looked at him with her deep blue eyes that seemed to see into his soul, “I didn’t say that.”

Robert shook his head in confusion, “Then what do you believe?”

“I believe that things like astrology and tarot can be very useful to people as jumping off points for evaluating their thinking. I believe that dream interpretation is especially useful as a tool to understanding the ongoing dilemmas of our unconscious mind; the things that we have not made peace with and that continue to haunt us even if we aren’t consciously aware of them. I believe that herbal remedies have their place alongside modern medicine, that plants contribute to our well-being, that we are far more affected by changes in nature and the stars then we think, and that everyone should practice meditation and mindfulness.”

Robert smiled at her as she spoke with her voice full of conviction. He made a pot of tea for them to share. They sat together in the atrium enjoying the plants and each other. Belle talked to him endlessly about metaphysics, astrology, the benefits of crystals, and finally astronomy. Robert smiled to himself as she spoke. He loved to see the twinkle in her eyes and listen to the way her voice would go a little higher when she was excited.

Dove came by later and watched after Belle while Robert went home and packed some bags with clothes and essentials. He then did some grocery shopping before returning to Belle.

Belle was happy to see Robert return and it warmed his heart to see the twinkle in her eye. “Did you miss me?”

Belle giggled, “Of course I did. Although Dove was a wonderful babysitter, very attentive.”

Robert happily crossed the room and placed a kiss upon her head, “You look as if you are feeling much better.”

Belle nodded, “That’s because I am. The pain is not so bad as long as I take it easy. I just wish it would hurry and heal already because I hate that I can’t just get up and do things.”

Robert playfully booped her on the nose, “Well you can’t, so don’t.”

***As the days went on Robert and Belle started to fall into the easy every day routine of a couple. There was a comfortable ease that they both hoped would carry over to the week they would spend at Robert’s home.

Life with Robert was everything that Belle had hoped it would be. She was truly at ease and happy with him and just as he had instantly felt at home at her house, she felt the same in his. A future with him felt right, as if the stars themselves had brought the two of them together.

Belle was getting around much better as time went on and told Robert that he should feel free to go back to work at his antiquities shop full time, but he was reticent. She tried to wave off his fears but they firmly refused to budge. In the end she convinced him to take her with him to work.

Belle loved going to work with Robert. His shop was full of so many amazing things. She would try to help him with inventory and cleaning at every opportunity only to have him scoop her up and re deposit her on the cot in the back room, but despite him keeping her grounded she enjoyed her time in the shop talking and laughing the days away with him.

Robert felt happier than he could ever remember feeling with Belle at his side. And quicker than anyone imagined, especially Belle’s doctors, Belle was healed and ready to start regaining strength in her ankle. Belle was excited at the news. Her eyes twinkled and she clapped her hands in front of her as she excitedly exclaimed that they could now go on romantic walks. Robert couldn’t help but smile back in the face of her joy and feel a bit smug at the thought that the town would see this goddess of a woman on his arm.

A date was planned for that Friday night. The weather forecast had said that the skies would be clear so Robert planned a romantic sunset picnic at the park, a stroll under the street lights, and then to stargaze with Belle at their meadow. Robert had just finished putting together everything he would need for their perfect date as Belle came out of her bed room wearing a gorgeous blue boat necked dress that flared out at the skirt and the simple necklace with a gold chain that she always wore, a necklace that had belonged to her mother. Robert smiled dreamily as she seemed to float across the floor to him. He reached out and caressed her cheek. She was smiling sweetly as she leaned in to kiss him when all of a sudden lightning and thunder cut across the sky shaking the windows of Belle’s little house. Belle had practically leapt into his arms at the intrusion, wrapping her arms tightly around him and burrowing her head against his chest as the electricity in the house went out and rain began to pour down on the roof. Robert was just as scared as Belle, but being with her seemed to make him braver. He felt that he needed to be strong and confident for her sake, so he held her close and soothed her with shushing sounds as they carefully made their way to the couch in the front room.

  
Robert then carefully made his way to the mantle and grabbed the lighter that Belle kept there and lit the wide pillar candles that Belle had on either side of the mantle. There was now enough light to see the room and Robert put it to good use by using the light to see what he was doing as he set a fire in the fireplace.

“So much for our perfect date.” Robert shrugged as he took a seat next to Belle. She snuggled against him for the moment, “That’s alright. I love picnics at home. Something about eating on a blanket on the floor is fun.” And so they had their romantic picnic on the floor of the front room illuminated by firelight, and when the meal was done they laid down on the blanket and stared up at the ceiling together as rain continued to pelt the roof and windows. Robert sighed, “I had wanted to take you to our meadow to stargaze.” Belle thought for a moment and smiled when an idea came to her, “We can stargaze right here.” She pulled out her phone and brought up her star gazing app. She held it up and it showed her the current positions of the stars and constellations. Robert smiled, “Not quite as magical as I had hoped, but it will do.”

They gazed at the screen while Belle moved it around pointing it at various points in the sky. Once they had their fill of the stars they lay in each other’s arms and enjoyed the firelight as they listened to the pater of the rain outside. Robert smiled as a thought occurred to him. “So, according to astrology, are we a good match?”

  
Belle smiled, “We are indeed. A match of our kind can be rare, but it is one of the strongest that there are.”

  
Robert was intrigued, “Tell me about us.”  
Belle rolled on to her side so she could gaze into his eyes, “Well in western astrology the signs are given specific archetypes. Have you studied Jung by any chance?”

  
“A bit, but I’m not an expert.”

  
Belle continued, “Well his study of archetypes has been applied to metaphysical essentialism, and to put it in really basic terms western astrology assigns an archetype to describe the believed intrinsic qualities for each of the sun signs. So in western astrology you as a Scorpio would be the sorcerer, and I as a Virgo would be the servant.”

  
Robert chuckled, “So I’m a powerful sorcerer and you’re my maid?”

  
Belle laughed, “Basically.”

  
Robert smiled, “And how does that make us a perfect match?”

  
Belle bit her bottom lip gently letting her teeth graze over the tender skin, "Well, both of these signs are seeking safety and constancy. The Sorcerer admires the Maid’s sure-footedness and grounded nature, while in turn the Maid is in awe of the Sorcerer’s emotional depths and the charismatic mask they wear. But insightful Virgo can see through Scorpio’s public mask, which both alarms and delights secretive Scorpio; meanwhile Scorpio is as incredibly intelligent and insightful as Virgo, proving to be a worthy intellectual match.” Belle gave a sly smile, “Both Scorpio and Virgo are deeply loyal when in love, and both partners would much prefer to be home and alone together rather than out amongst others. The Sorcerer in particular feels protective of his unassuming little maid, and will defend her to the ends of the earth and back again.”

Belle sighed as she looked off in a thoughtful way, “Perhaps their compatibility comes from a shared desire to have control over their lives. Scorpios tend to want power so that they can protect what they care about; whereas Virgos want order in their lives, they want a partner they can depend on.” Belle ran her soft, gentle finger tips over Robert’s cheek and smiled dreamily at him.

  
Robert was absolutely dumbstruck. Somehow everything that Belle had said about their signs seemed absolutely spot on. Maybe there was something to this astrology stuff after all. “I thought the signs came from Greek myths?”

  
Belle smiled, “There are Greek interpretations for them as well. Shall I tell you the story of Scorpio?”

  
Robert hugged Belle to his chest so that he could smell her freshly washed hair and feel her whispered breath on his skin. “Please do.”

  
Belle sighed happily like a little mewing kitten. “Well there are a few different versions, but here is my favorite. The great hunter Orion was an incredibly self-centered and obnoxious individual who loved to hunt. One day he declared that he would hunt down and kill all of the animals of the earth so that he might display them as trophies. Typically, Artemis would be perturbed by someone insinuating that they were a better hunter than her, but she kind of had the hots for him and seemed too obliviously in a love struck haze to do anything about it. So Apollo and Gaia decided that they would put a stop to his over hunting and all around obnoxious boasting by sending a scorpion after him. And though the scorpion was smaller, he dropped Orion like a hot potato proving that size really doesn’t matter.”  
Robert grinned from ear to ear, “I like that story.”

****  
Belle came into the shop after closing the library as had become her custom, but was surprised to see Robert cleaning up to leave. He usually worked a few more hours.

  
Noticing Belle, Robert smiled and walked toward her with his arms outstretched. His fingers gently grasping her shoulders and pulling her toward him, holding her close for a moment and treasuring her warm presence before suggesting they go out for dinner.

  
Belle smiled broadly at his proposition, “If I’d known I would have worn something nicer.”

  
Robert shook his head with a broad grin upon his face, “You could wear a potato sack and still put Aphrodite to shame.”

They went to Granny’s and ordered red wine and lasagna. Their dinner, while tasty, was overpriced and so they decided to forgo dessert; deciding to go out for drinks instead. At least that had been the reasoning that Robert had given her, but she suspected that it had more to do with the uncomfortable stares and not so subtle whispering of comments and questions from Jim the gym teacher and his wife Kathryn who was an heiress by Storybrooke standards and didn’t do much of anything constructive with her time as far as Belle knew.

  
“What does she see in him? Must be his money,” Jim’s voice was clear despite the mouthful of meatloaf he was struggling to chew.

  
“My mother always said that evil finds evil,” Kathryn’s nose was so upturned in disgust that Belle wasn’t sure if she could even see over it.

  
“Birds of a feather I guess,” Jim shrugged.

  
“God forbid they have children,” Kathryn’s voice dripped with disdain like a cracked oil tanker.

  
“Right? Can you imagine a child of theirs around our own children?” Jim seemed genuinely upset by the thought. Belle actually agreed with them on this one. She didn’t want her precious child anywhere near that toxic waste facility of a family.

Robert had helped Belle into her coat and they were headed toward the door, but she couldn’t help but hear Kathryn mutter in a voice that should be ashamed to call its self a whisper, “I swear that they both have some sort of dark magic within them. How else do you explain a small guy like that with the money and influence he has?”

  
That’s it! Belle had had enough. “It’s called hard work Kathryn! Something that a trust fund, bad dye job, gaudy jewelry wearing, jay walking dunderhead like you wouldn’t understand because it would involve you opening a dictionary and being literate enough to read it.”

Kathryn looked as if she’d just swallowed a fly. Jim tried to say his piece, but Belle was quicker to the draw. “Don’t you dare open your mouth Jim. You may be able to intimidate the youth of Storybrooke by demanding they climb a rope, but your gonna have to climb a lot higher than that to be safe from me. My kind fly after all.”

With that said Belle turned on her heel like a soldier at arms and quickly ushered Robert out and to his car.

  
Once they were in the car Belle released the breath she had been holding. What a rush! She had always just ignored all the annoying clods in this town like a duck ignores light rain, but tonight was different. Tonight those clods had insulted her Robert and she couldn’t let it stand. She was like one of her favorite book characters, Galadriel. She was fair like the sea and the sun on a snowy mountain, but if you messed with her she was as dreadful as a thunderstorm.

Robert sighed, his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his white knuckles seeming bright in the darkness of the car.  
Belle was brought out of her adrenaline rush by the sound of his sigh and the upset look on his face. “Robert?”

  
Robert shook his head, “You shouldn’t have had to do that.”

  
Belle relaxed a bit at his words, “I know I should have just ignored it like I always do, but I just couldn’t let it slide this time. I like living here and I’m not about to let some hypocritical rude people chase me out with their cruel words.”

  
Robert placed his hand on hers and squeezed his eyes shut as if in pain, “No…you misunderstand.” He uttered a heavy hearted sigh, “I know that you are strong. You are so strong, bright, and beautiful. But you stood up for me and you shouldn’t have needed to. I should have stood up for you.”

  
Belle wasn’t sure what to say, but then Robert opened his eyes and she could see them beginning to tear up. “Hey, it’s alright.” Belle reached out a hand to wipe away his tears.

Robert held her warm hand to his cheek. “No it’s not alright. I promised myself that I would never feel helpless ever again, not after Milah. And…” Robert gritted his teeth in anger at himself, “the stupid things that the people of this town spout had never bothered me before because I knew that their words weren’t true, but when he said…”

Robert began to cry quietly only to have Belle stop him with a whispered, “Hey, come on now. Nothing they said was true.”

  
Robert shook his head, tears streaming and his lips quivering, “I know, but for a moment I worried that perhaps that idiot was right and that you don’t really love me. And I know that’s not true! But the fact that for a moment someone was able to hurt me, to make me feel… Oh Belle, I should have stepped in and stood up for you, but I was stuck in my own head.”  
“Shh, Robert. Look at me.” Belle placed her hands on the sides of his head anchoring him. She gazed into his chocolate brown eyes. “I love you Robert. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  
Robert gave a shaky smile his face still woobie and wibbling, “Never again darling! I love you so much Belle! You are so wonderful and I just feel like…” He sighed as he took a small ring box out of his jacket, “I was planning to ask you to marry me, but then those idiots ruined the moment and I felt so worthless. You deserve so much more than…”

  
Belle cut him off with a finger to his lips, her other hand reaching into her small purse and pulling out a small velvet drawstring bag. Robert’s brow furrowed in interested confusion as to its contents and what it had to do with their conversation when Belle smiled and spoke, “Sometimes best laid plans are undone by the whim of starlight and constellations, but on this occasion I think that perhaps the stars knew that this moment needed to happen. That the Sorcerer needed to know the depths of the Maid’s love for him.”

  
Robert smiled slightly, “I don’t understand.”

  
Belle giggled, “I was planning to ask you to marry me tonight.”

  
Robert looked dumbstruck, “But…you came to the shop like you always do and…”

  
Belle giggled some more, “Oh my clever Sorcerer, your sneaky little maid snuck home during the day and set up rose petals and candles, and a picnic to enjoy under the stars. But all that preparation came crashing down when I saw the happy look on your face when you suggested we go out to dinner.”

  
Robert was in happy shock, “Oh Belle, I…we should have…I didn’t…”

  
Belle shushed him playfully with a finger to his lips once more. “I tell you what, since the stars seem to be in our favor tonight let’s get married now.”

  
Robert began to stutter, his lips still firmly under her finger, “But…don’t you want a dress? Flowers and a party?”  
Belle became misty eyed as her finger began to trace his lips, “We can have all that if you want, but all I want, all I’ll ever want is you with me.”

  
That settled it. Robert started the car smiling to Belle, “Let’s do it.”

They headed to the sheriff’s station and told sheriff Graham that they would like to be married. He smiled at them, truly happy that they seemed so happy (he was one of the few kind people in town). He authorized a marriage license for them, held a quick service, filed the paperwork and handed them their marriage certificate.

  
Belle and Robert eagerly unwrapped the rings they had gotten for their true love’s and placed them on each other’s fingers. As they looked down at the rings they laughed, it seemed that the stars had struck again as they noticed that the rings they had chosen for each other were near identical except that Belle’s was dainty to fit her small hand.  
They were over the moon as they headed back to the car only to be scared witless as a huge truck with a dead deer tied to the hood swerved and hit a light post outside the police station.

  
Gareth Gaston came stumbling out of the truck, clearly drunk as a skunk who has eaten a jack-o-lantern in late November. He was waving and slurring his words as he approached Robert and Belle, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had just crashed into a pole. “He there pretty pretty,” he slurred his words as he stumbled and shambled, “what’s a foxy lady like you doing with a withered old monster like him?”

As he had started to approach them Robert had instantly pulled Belle behind him, shielding her with his body completely. Belle had been about to speak when Robert angrily shouted, “No one talks to my wife that way! And if you value your health you’ll walk away.”

Gareth chuckled to himself in a way that sounded like huffing and puffing, “Why on earth would a pretty girl like that marry a weak old man like you when she could have the greatest hunter in all of the east coast?”

  
Belle interjected, “It’s summer you idiot! You killed a deer in the middle of July!”

  
Gareth sneered, “How dare you speak to me like that you little…”

  
Robert’s right hook took Gareth off guard, spinning him around to fall flat on his face and knocking him out cold.

Belle was still behind Robert smiling as she stepped up on her toes with her hands on his shoulders and whispered into his ear, “And so the small but mighty Scorpion took down the jack ass that was Orion.”

***  
Robert and Belle spent the first night of their marriage in Belle’s house and as they enjoyed breakfast in her atrium they wondered aloud about whose house they should move into. Finally, Robert laughed and said, “We’ll live in both.”

  
Belle was dumb struck, “Both?”

  
But Robert was true to his word and with money and his powers of persuasion he had her house lifted from its foundation and moved to his own spacious lot of land and added on to his existing home. When it was all said and done it looked as if the houses had always been meant to be together.

  
***  
Robert came in from the backyard and washed his hands in the kitchen. Belle was bouncing on her tip toes, a smile on her face, “Is it finished?”

  
Robert smiled, “It is indeed. A cottage playhouse fit for a princess and in the color scheme of our home. It’s as if the house had a baby.”

  
Belle giggled in excitement.

  
A little silvery voice came drifting down the stairs. “Is it my birthday yet?”  
Belle smirked as she turned to the voice and shouted up a reply, “Not until the sun comes out star shine.” (Star shine had become their nickname for their little one as it was the song that Belle had always sung to her when they cuddled or when it was time to get up. Also because they had chosen to name her Vega after the brilliant star.)

  
Vega came down the stairs enough to look through the bars of the side rail, “Is daddy going to tuck me in?”  
Robert smirked and Belle rolled her eyes in a playful way. Belle had already tucked Vega in, but apparently daddy tells stories better than mommy, and Belle had long since learned not to argue the fact.

  
Robert smiled at his precious baby, “I’m on my way sweetheart.”

When Robert arrived in his little girl’s room he found her sitting up in bed and twiddling her fingers the way that her mother would when she was impatient and it brought a smile to his face to see how alike they were. He crossed the room and eased her into bed, pulled the covers over her and tucked Mr. Pig into the crook of her arm. (Vega had had the stuffed pig since she was a wee piglet herself. As she became a toddler she asked for her daddy to make a suit for her pig just like the ones that he would wear to work. Robert had cheerfully agreed and from the moment he put the three-piece suit with a tie and matching hanky on Vega’s pig she had insisted that he forever more be referred to as Mr. Pig).

  
Robert dimmed the lights and turned on Vega’s constellation nightlight before he pulled over the intricately carved rocking chair and took a seat. “What story should I tell you?”

  
Vega smiled and Robert knew the story she was going to ask for before the words left her mouth. “The little lass who wanted to touch the stars!”

  
It was an old fable that had instantly become Vega’s favorite story. Robert brushed the hair from Vega’s face and rubbed his finger over her check as he began the tale.

  
“Once upon a time there was a little lass who wanted with all her heart to touch the stars in the sky. On clear, moonless nights she would get out of bed and look out her window at the thousand tiny lights scattered across the dark blue sky and wondered what it would be like to hold one in her hand.

  
One warm summer evening, a night when the Milky Way shined more brightly than ever before, she decided she couldn't stand it any longer, she just had to touch a star! She would do whatever it took. So she slipped out of her little house and started off by herself to see if she could reach them. Which she really shouldn’t have done. Her poor mommy and daddy would have been terribly hurt and upset if they knew she had run off without them.” He eyed Vega carefully until she nodded in agreement. He smiled and continued, “She walked a far, far way, and then farther still, until she came to a mill wheel, creaking and grinding away.

  
"Good evening," she said to the mill wheel. "I would like to play with the stars in the sky. Have you seen any near here?"

  
"Ah, yes," groaned the old mill wheel. "Every night they shine in my face from the surface of this pond. Those horrible stars are so bright! Their light keeps me awake. Jump in, my lass, and you will find them."

  
The little girl jumped into the pond and swam around until her arms were so tired she could swim no longer, but she could not find any stars.

  
"Excuse me," she called to the old mill wheel, "but I don't believe there are any stars here after all!"

  
"Well, there certainly were before you jumped in and stirred the water up," the mill wheel called back. So she climbed out and dried herself off as best she could, and set out again across the fields.  
After a while she came to a little brook, murmuring over its mossy stones.

  
"Good evening little brook," she said politely. "I'm trying to reach the stars in the sky so I may play with them. Have you seen any near here?"

  
"Ah, yes," whispered the little brook. "They glint on my banks at night until I cannot sleep. Wade in, my lassie, and you will find them."

  
So the little girl waded in and paddled around for a while, and climbed all over the mossy rocks, but never once did she find a star.

  
"Excuse me," she said as politely as she could, "but I just don't think there are any stars here."

  
"What do you mean, no stars here?" the little brook babbled. "There are lots of stars here. I see them all the time. On some nights, they cover me from the edge of the woods all the way down to the old mill pond. I have more stars here than I know what to do with." And the little brook babbled on and on until it even forgot the little girl was there, so she tiptoed away across the fields.

  
After a while she sat down to rest in a meadow, and it must have been a fairy meadow, because before she knew it a hundred little fairies came scampering out to dance on the grass. They were no taller than toadstools, but they were dressed in silver and gold.

  
"Good evening, Little Folk," said the girl. "I'm trying to reach the stars in the sky. Have you seen any near here?"

  
"Ah, yes," sang the fairies. "They glisten every night among the blades of the grass. Come and dance with us little lass, and you will find as many stars as you like."

  
So the child danced and danced, she whirled round and round in a ring with the fairies, but even though the grass gleamed beneath her feet, she never saw a single star. Finally, she could dance no longer, and she plopped down inside the ring of fairies.

  
"I've tried and I've tried, but I can't seem to reach the stars down here," she cried. "If you don't help me, I'll never find any to play with!"

  
The fairies all whispered together. Finally, one of them crept up and took her by the hand, and said: "If you're really determined, you must go forward. Keep going forward, and mind you take the right road. Ask Four Feet to carry you to No Feet At All, and then tell No Feet At All to carry you to the Stairs Without Steps, and if you climb that..."

  
"Then I'll be among the stars in the sky?" cried the lassie.

  
"If you'll not be there, then you'll be somewhere else, won't you?" laughed the fairy, and she vanished with all the rest.

  
So the little girl set out again with new determination, and after a while she came to a saddled horse, tied to a tree.  
"Good evening," she said. "I'm trying to reach the stars in the sky, and I've come so far my bones are aching. Will you give me a ride?"

  
"I don't know anything about stars in the sky," the horse replied. "I'm here only to do the bidding of the Little Folk."

  
"But I come from the Little Folk," she cried, "and they said to tell Four Feet to carry me to No Feet At All."

  
"Four Feet? That's me!" the horse whinnied. "Jump up and ride with me."  
They rode and they rode and they rode, till they rode out of the forest and found themselves at the edge of the deep blue sea.

  
"I've brought you to the end of the land, and that's as much as Four Feet can do," said the horse. "Now I must get home to my own folk."

  
So the little girl slid down and walked along the sea, wondering what in the world she would do next, until suddenly the biggest fish she'd ever seen came swimming up to her feet.

  
"Good evening," she said to the fish. "I'm trying to reach the stars in the sky. Can you help me?"

  
"I'm afraid I can't," gurgled the fish, unless, of course, the Little Folk sent you."

  
"But they did!," she cried. "They said Four Feet would bring me to No Feet At All, and then No Feet At All would carry me to the Stairs Without Steps."

  
"Ah, well," said the fish, "that's all right then. Get on my back and hold on tight."

The little lass climbed onto his back and held on as tight as she could as the fish swam along the surface of the water, swimming along a silver path that glistened on the surface and seemed to stretch toward the end of the sea, where the water met the sky. There, in the distance, the little girl saw a beautiful rainbow rising out of the ocean and into the heavens, shining with all the colors in the world, blues and reds and greens, it was so beautiful she wanted to cry happy tears at the sight of it. The nearer they drew, the brighter it gleamed, until she had to shade her eyes from its light.

  
At last they came to the bottom of it, and she saw the rainbow was really a broad bright road, sloping up and away into the sky, and at the far, far end of it she could see wee shining things dancing about.  
"I can go no further," said the fish. "Here are the Stairs Without Steps. Climb up, if you can, but hold on tight. These stairs were never meant for little lassies' feet, you know. " So the little girl jumped off No Feet's back, waved goodbye and watched as he splashed through the water.

  
She held tight to the sides of the rainbow as she climbed and climbed and climbed up the rainbow. It wasn't easy. Every time she took one step, she seemed to slide back two. And even though she climbed until the sea was far below, the stars in the sky looked farther away than ever.

  
"But I won't give up, " she told herself "I've come so far, I can't go back."  
Up and up she went. The air grew colder and colder, but the sky turned brighter and brighter, and finally she could tell she was nearing the stars.

  
"I'm almost there!" she cried.

  
And sure enough, suddenly she reached the very tip-top of the rainbow. Everywhere she looked, the stars were turning and dancing. They raced up and down, and back and forth, and spun in a thousand colors around her.

  
"I'm finally here, " she whispered to herself and tears began to stream down her face for she had never seen anything so beautiful before, and she stood gazing and wondering at the heavens.

  
But after a while she realized she was shivering with cold, and when she looked down at where she had come from all she could see was darkness, she could no longer see the earth. She wondered where her own home was, so far away, but no street lamps or window lights shone through the blackness below. She began to feel a little dizzy.

  
"I won't go until I touch one star." she told herself, and she stood on her toes and stretched her arms as high as she could. She reached further and further when all of a sudden a shooting star zipped by and surprised her so much that she lost her balance. She balled her hands into fists and braced herself for the fall that was to come.

  
Down the rainbow she slid, down-down-down. The further she slid, the warmer it grew, and the warmer it grew, the sleepier she felt. She gave a great big yawn, and a small sigh, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

  
When she woke up, she found herself in her very own bed. The sun was peeking through her window, and the morning birds were singing in the bushes and trees.

  
"Did I really touch the stars?" she asked herself, "Or was it only a dream?"  
Then she felt something in her hand. When she opened her fist, a tiny light flashed in her palm, all at once it was gone, but she smiled because she knew it had been a speck of stardust.”  
Robert gazed down at Vega who was fast asleep and holding Mr. Pig close, a peaceful smile on her face as she dreamed of adventures and playing among the stars.

Belle smiled from the doorway, “That’s one of my favorites too.”

Robert crossed the room quietly and took her into his arms, “My favorite has always been the Sorcerer and his Maid.”

Belle smiled shyly as she whispered, “Shall that be tonight’s bedtime story?”  
Robert gave a wolfish grin as he closed Vega’s door behind him. “Yes, please.”


End file.
